


bourbon chocolates and cowboy steaks

by AtLoLevad



Category: NCIS
Genre: F/M, Family Feels, Fluff, Gen, pandemic reference
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-10
Updated: 2021-02-24
Packaged: 2021-03-16 20:35:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,506
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29338413
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AtLoLevad/pseuds/AtLoLevad
Summary: Tony, Ziva, and Tali end up on Gibbs's doorstep during the pandemic
Relationships: Anthony DiNozzo & Ziva David & Jethro Gibbs, Anthony DiNozzo & Ziva David & Tali DiNozzo David, Ziva David/Anthony DiNozzo
Comments: 16
Kudos: 49





	1. Chapter 1

Unfortunately, pandemic or not, crime doesn't stop. Gibbs, geared up more than usual with a mask and a small bottle of hand sanitizer in his pocket, sighs tiredly as he heads for his front door. A quick series of knocks startles him a bit, but he calls out, "Open."

The front door opens slightly and a familiar head pokes around the frame. "Boss?"

"DiNozzo?" Gibbs squints at his former agent, only able to see a pair of hazel eyes over the edge of a navy-blue mask.

The corners of Tony's eyes crinkle in a smile and the door opens wider to reveal Ziva and Tali, both also wearing masks. Ziva offers up a small, sheepish wave and Tali bounces from foot to foot, a nervous little furrow in between her eyebrows. Tony's eyebrows raise as he says, "Didn't want to come in without knowing if you were okay with us being here."

Gibbs slips his own mask on, adjusting the elastic loops around his ears. "The hell are you three doing here?" he asks, pausing before adding, "Not that I'm not glad to see ya."

"We made a legislative decision," Ziva says.

"Executive," Tony corrects on a muffled laugh. Ziva rolls her eyes and flicks a hand in his direction.

"Paris is getting worse, America is getting worse again," Ziva sighs. "It may be silly, but we wanted to be around family. Even if we have to socially distance."

"Six feet, Ima!" Tali pipes up, her hands wringing together anxiously. Gibbs looks down at her and smiles under his mask, hoping his eyes convey his reassurance. She sighs and blinks at him, relaxing against Ziva's side.

Ziva brushes her hand over Tali's hair. "Yes, _motek_ , six feet. That is why Gibbs is over by the stairs and we are staying here."

Tali nods, but her shoulders are still set stiffly and Gibbs can only imagine how lonely and isolated the little girl must have felt. Tony and Ziva had called him periodically over the past nine months, Ziva increasingly worried about Tony due to his damaged lungs.

"Maybe more than six feet is better?" she asks quietly, bouncing down one step to put more distance between herself and Gibbs. "Gibbs and Pop Pop are old! Miss Devereaux said the older people have to be more carefuller."

Gibbs snorts a laugh, not insulted that the first grader thinks he's as old as DiNozzo Senior. He leans against the railing of the staircase. "Your teacher's right, kiddo. We even have Ducky working from home so he doesn't have to worry."

"Ima and Daddy are working from home too," Tali pipes up. "Ima says Daddy breathes too loud in the living room."

At that, Gibbs laughs louder and squats down, leaning forward a bit and whispering conspiratorially, "Not the first time your mom's complained about working in the same room as your dad."

Tony shakes his head. "How am I supposed to breath quieter? Stop altogether?"

"Anyway," Ziva waves him off, "we were wondering, if after the proper quarantined time and negative tests, that -"

"Ziver, 'course you can stay here," Gibbs interrupts her, blue eyes crinkling up at the corner.

"Told you he'd say yes," Tony crows, eyes warm and sincere even as his tone is joking. "And we didn't even have to bust out the bribery macarons."

"A good thing too," Ziva returns the verbal volley, "since you and a certain little thief," she nudges Tali in the side, eliciting a giggle, "broke into the box on the plane while I was asleep."

Tony and Tali look up at Ziva with matching wide, innocent eyes. "It wasn't us, Ima!" Tali protests a little, and Gibbs knows that if the mask wasn't blocking the lower half of her face, the young girl would be sporting a mischievous smile much like the one Tony used to wear.

Ziva just shakes her head at the pair and looks up to wink at Gibbs. "Hmph," she hums, "luckily, I have silked onto your tricks and hid a separate gift for Gibbs."

"Cottoned on," Tony corrects absently, craning his neck to look at the tote bag Ziva's carrying. "What did you bring him and why didn't I find it when I was looking for Tali's headphones over the Atlantic?"

"Because it was not for you," Ziva laughs. "I knew it would have to be hidden if it wanted a chance of making it to Gibbs." She reaches a hand into her bag and withdraws a large gold box and hands it to Gibbs - both of them stretching to reach across the safe distance. "It is bourbon filled Belgian chocolates," she says, unnecessarily translating the French on the box.

"Aw, thanks, Ziver," the former Marine replies, setting the box on one of the steps. "Gonna have to hide these from Ducky, too."

From his pocket, Gibbs's cell phone rings. Tony and Ziva startle briefly, kicked back in time for a moment, and then Tony hoists Tali onto his hip, saying, "We better go. Pretty sure we're breaking rules by even being out here and not in quarantine."

Gibbs snorts, ignoring his phone for the moment, "Government's barely got any rules about this, DiNozzo. But go on, get your tests and quarantine and I'll see you in two weeks."

"Will you make us cowboy steaks?" he asks jokingly. Tali pops her head up and squints at Gibbs.

"What's a cowboy steak?" she asks, curiosity written all over her face.

Gibbs shrugs a little, the corner of his mouth tilting up in a smile even if they can't see it. "Just a regular steak. Only I grill it in the fireplace," he explains, enjoying the way Tali's eyes go wide.

"But, but, but," she splutters, "that's not where you're 'sposed to cook steaks! Daddy makes them on the baby grill."

"S'what makes 'em fun," Gibbs says in a conspiratorial tone.

"I wanna make cowboy steaks!" Tali yelps, patting at Tony's cheeks to make sure she has his attention. He laughs while wincing and nods.

"Sure, but we gotta do the quarantine thing first, remember?" he reminds her gently and all three adults watch as Tali visibly deflates in her dad's arms.

She pouts, but nods in acceptance and rests her head back on Tony's shoulder. Ziva runs a comforting hand over her back and smiles under her mask. To Gibbs, she says, "Are you sure that you still want us to stay with you?"

"Aw, any time, Ziver," Gibbs replies warmly.

As they say their goodbyes and head back to the rental car, Tali pokes her head over Tony's shoulder and waves at Gibbs, shouting, "I'll be back for my cowboy steak, Gibbs!"

Under his breath, Gibbs chuckles. She really is her parents' daughter.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i was so surprised by the lovely response to the first chapter of this, so here you go! follow-up showing life with gibbs a little bit later. let me know what you think :)

Throwing himself dramatically on the couch, Tony whines, "Come on Boss, I'm going crazy here! Just two days a week?"

Gibbs, sitting on the floor with his legs stretched out in front of him and his focus on a puzzle, rolls his eyes. "Told you already, DiNozzo. Not your boss and I can't let you come into the office," he mutters, rotating a puzzle piece in his fingers and setting it into its spot. Tali, laying on her stomach with her feet kicking in the air, slides two more pieces into place, frowning at the still mostly unfinished image.

"Ima says you got the 'lague so you can't go anywhere," Tali informs her father matter-of-factly, reaching out to grab an edge piece. She presses it into place, completely missing the halfhearted glare Tony shoots her way.

"Yeah well Ima's allowed to leave the house so she can't talk," Tony grumbles. He smushes his face into a couch cushion, groaning briefly, and then perks up with an idea. "How about we get McGee to set me up remotely and I can consult?"

Gibbs looks up from the puzzle and Tony's giving him a wide-eyed, pleading look, his hands clasped under his chin. Tali looks over at her father and raises an eyebrow (well, really she raises both eyebrows, giving her the look of a slightly startled animal, but hey, Ziva's trying to teach her the art of the eyebrow raise as a quarantine hobby) and sighs, "Daddy, you're no good at the puppy dog eyes."

Tony's face falls and he drops his hands. "Sheesh, everyone's a critic," he teases, sticking his tongue out at the six-year-old. She sticks her tongue out in retaliation and giggles.

"What have I said about sticking your tongue out?" Ziva asks, coming into the living room, wiping her hands on a dish towel.

Tali rolls onto her back and looks up at Ziva. "That sticking tongues out is only for puppies and I am not a puppy," she repeats dutifully, then smiles mischievously, "but what if, Ima, what if I was pretending to be a puppy. Then I would be like a puppy and I could stick my tongue out at Daddy!"

Gibbs snorts, "looks like you might have to save up for law school, DiNozzo."

"You are very smart for coming up with that loophole, my love," Ziva acknowledges with a smile, "but it is still rude to stick out your tongue."

"Fine," Tali sighs, flattening our against the floor and spreading her arms and legs in a starfish position. A beat of silence and then she whines, "I'm bored."

Ziva hums sympathetically. "You are not finished with your puzzle," she gestures to the array of pieces scattered around the floor. Tali looks at the pieces dispassionately.

"I don't like this one anymore. Gibbs and I did enough puzzles," she sighs, rolling back and forth on the floor.

Gibbs isn't about to disagree - this is the fourth puzzle he's worked on with Tali, all with increasing difficulty. He'd liked the earlier weeks of the David-DiNozzos' visit, when Tali was content to draw and color by herself, with the occasional request for an adult to draw with her. Now, nearly two months into their stay, she's getting antsy and lonely.

"Wanna call the twins?" Tony suggests from the couch. Tali shakes her head.

"Victoria?" Ziva suggests.

"Maybe," Tali sighs.

"Wanna work on the boat?" Gibbs asks, leaning back on one hand and kicking a few of the puzzle pieces into a pile.

Tali rolls into her stomach, grinning a scary little grin. "Can I use the saw?" she asks, eyes twinkling.

Before either Tony or Ziva can object, Gibbs shakes his head. "I was thinkin' more along the lines of sandpaper," he says.

Pursing her lips together, thinking, Tali eventually nods firmly. "Okay!" she shouts, leaping to her feet and bouncing a little in place. "Let's go!"

She's running down the steps to the basement before Gibbs can even think about standing up.

"You are sure about this?" Ziva asks, looking a little skeptical.

Gibbs clambers to his feet, nodding, "She can't mess up sanding. Get some of her energy out too."

Tony glances at Ziva as Gibbs heads down to the basement. He shrugs, "How bad could it be?"

* * *

"I don't ever wanna work on the boat again!" Tali wails dramatically, burying her face in Tony's chest.

Tony smothers a laugh at the girl's dramatics. "T, honey, Gibbs didn't mean to yell."

"But he diiiiid," she fake sobs, throwing herself back against the couch cushions and draping a hand over her face. Ziva raises an eyebrow at Tony and mouths, "that is all you."

"Aw, kid," Gibbs rubs the back of his neck, "I got scared that you were gonna get hurt. Should've cleaned up better."

He hadn't meant to shout, but the jar of nails falling off the counter and directly at Tali had scared the shit out of him.

Tali sniffles and peers at Gibbs from under her arm. "I didn't get hurt," she pouts. "And you yelled."

"Maybe it is time for a walk?" Ziva cuts in, sensing the growing frustration from both her daughter and her father-figure. All the time together in close quarters has been making everyone a little crazy.

"That's a good idea," Tony grins brightly. "T, why don't you get your sneakers and mask?"

Tali wipes her nose on Tony's shirt, much to his disgust, and looks between her three adults. "Can Gibbs come with us?"

There's a beat of silence and then Gibbs chuckles. Ziva and Tony laugh a little too, breaking the tension. Gibbs nods. "If you want me to come, sure," he says easily. Tali nods and it's decided, the four of them are going on a walk.

"Good!" Tali smiles, hopping off of the couch, all traces of her prior dramatics gone. She tugs at Gibbs's hand and he angles his neck to look down at her. She gives him a small, mischievous smile, looking for all the world like Tony's tiny clone, and whispers, "I'm not really mad at you, Gibbs. I just like the 'ramatics."

A startled laugh escapes Gibbs's mouth and Tali looks delighted. Gibbs shakes his head, "Kid, you're too much," he chuckles.

"Daddy says that too," Tali yelps.

"What do I say?" Tony asks, pulling his sweatshirt over his head.

"Nothing," Tali sing-songs, dancing around Gibbs, still holding his hand. Ziva watches the display, a smile playing on her face - even though they have been stuck inside, it's nice to see that Tali is still her usual exuberant self.

"Nothing, huh?" Tony grins.

"Yup!" Tali skips forward, grabbing Tony's hand with her free one and swinging it. "Come on! I wanna go for a walk."

Gibbs and Tony swing Tali in the air in between them and she shrieks with laughter, creating a chain reaction of laughter from the adults. Ziva steps forward and nudges Tony in the back.

"The faster we go for a walk, the sooner we can get back for dinner," she says. "What should we have?"

"Cowboy steaks!" Tali shouts.

Tony sighs. "T, bug, we had cowboy steaks last night," he points out, letting go of her hand to usher her out the door.

"But Gibbs makes them the best," Tali replies, her voice taking on a whiney tone. Gibbs squeezes her hand in a little warning and she pouts.

"Cowboy steaks aren't special if we have 'em every day," he says reasonably.

"But I like cooking in the fire," Tali huffs, kicking a rock out of her path.

"How about a s'more instead?" Tony asks, lagging a few steps behind Tali and Gibbs, his fingers interlaced with Ziva's. She leans gently against his side as they walk.

Tali's quiet for a bit, pondering the offer. "Can we make it in the fire?" she asks, looking up at Gibbs for approval.

He nods back at her, silent confirmation, and she grins widely. "Okay!" Tali agrees, skipping instead of walking for the next few feet. "I'll make a s'more."

They walk for a few blocks, Tali chattering happily, and even though tensions were high earlier and eventually they know Tali's going to have a meltdown about being unable to see her friends, for right now, everything feels okay.

**Author's Note:**

> thinking up titles is hard after two 10+ hour days at work so don't judge me lol. honestly, i needed to write some kind of fluffy-ish thing after my last fic and this is what happened. i also fully don't acknowledge what the show did to breena and jimmy, so that plot stupidity doesn't exist in my world. let me know what you think and shoot me some prompts bc i'm feeling inspired to write t and z again :)


End file.
